– Edouard Jeanneret, or as he is better known- Le Corbusier.
LC was a Swiss-French architect obsessed with the idea of creating “machines for living in”. He wished to bring a new aesthetic to the world based on technological innovations such as reinforced concrete and manufacturing methods of the automobile, ship and airplane. His vision was about restructuring society by means of modern transport and living by (his) design. Corbusier felt that it was time for man to move on from his contact with the earth and nature; To abandon the human sense of scale that architecture had always respected- largely by conforming to the structural constraints of natural materials like wood, stone and lime mortar. It was his obsession with machines which inspired LC to come up with the idea of flattening most of the centre of Paris to build gigantic cruciform towers so tall that they would most likely challenge the crushing strength of concrete.
If you’re wondering where the inspiration behind such architectural gems such as the WHO building, or “brutalist” architecture comes from then one need look no further than LC. So dedicated was he to his vision of machines for living in that he courted diverse clients such as Stalin, Mussolini, The Vichy Administration (The French Nazi Administration) and the Rockefellers. Corbusier’s political affiliations could swing from left to right and back again depending on who was looking like a winner at any point during the early half of the 20th Century; But he was always remained loyal to the cause of Socialism.
Sublime examples of the International Style: Above from left: Department of Health and Social Services Washington, The Embankment London, and in Geneva: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, The International Social Security Association, and the truly inspiring WHO building.
Le Corbusier’s influence lives on to this day. His obsession with the integration of man and machine reflects the religious tenets of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is so enthusiastically promoted by the World Economic Forum, Blackrock, The United Nations, the WHO, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Finance, the Pentagon, and all of their respective allies, branches and sub-branches who run just about every government and NGO on earth.
Ugly & Stupid?
The architecturally unenlightened man or woman might look upon an example of brutalist modern architecture and proclaim it to be “a big pile of shite” or use some other similar vulgar terms, but this merely reflects a lack of proper education; Such opinions can be safely dismissed as mere ignorance; It is self-evident that they haven’t read the memo which says that Truth and Beauty have been redefined, and Le Corbusier and his cohorts Mies Van Der Rohe, Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus School have redefined them. Buildings can no longer be designed for People. It is the People who must conform to the Buildings.
Flatten the Pitch
The pitched roof- So embedded in the consciousness of man as a symbol of home and hearth is an anachronism which must give way to a modern enlightened aesthetic which is the flat roof. Individuality must give way to the Collective (the New Normal); As I gaze out from a lofty window in the WHO building in Geneva across towards the sublime concrete mass of the Occupational Safety and Health Information Center (see above), I cannot help but be transported by it’s sheer impenetrable majesty. And so it is with the many large concrete and glass forms that dot the urban landscape of Geneva- A city which has become a Mecca of the International Style; A city that would satisfy the refined sensibilities of a Chairman Mao, or Pol Pot or that most distinguished resident and founder of the World Economic Forum: Klaus Schwab. It is time to wholeheartedly embrace Mass Concrete.
Flat is beautiful.
Note: For those who are considering whether or not to attend architecture school, be aware that your appreciation for the International Style will be enthusiastically cultivated. However, non-appreciation will result in poor academic performance.